The subject matter disclosed herein relates to gas turbine engines, and more particularly to a method of operating a fuel heating system for such gas turbine engines.
The temperature of fuel consumed by a gas turbine engine is generally required to be within a specific range for efficient combustion associated with the gas turbine engine. Generally, fuel supplied to the gas turbine engine is not heated, such that a fuel heater is employed to increase the temperature of the fuel to meet the aforementioned temperature requirements for combustion. The fuel heater requires an energy source for operation and the energy source is considered a parasitic load on the gas turbine engine.
A method of heating the fuel may include employing heated exhaust generated by the gas turbine engine that is otherwise discharged to the ambient environment. Such a method may include inefficiencies and safety issues based on the extensive number components and the complexity of control systems, as well as the combustible nature of the fuel being heated.